


One Weekend In Time

by Wle0416



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alex POV, Alternate Universe, Angst, Boys Talking, Fluff, M/M, michael POV
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-15 09:49:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29806602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wle0416/pseuds/Wle0416
Summary: Alex and Michael head home to Roswell for the weekend to attend Max and Liz's wedding. But no one knows they're newly broken up and they decide not to tell anyone.Or the fake dating AU no one asked for :)
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 30
Kudos: 73





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was something that just came to me and hasn't left me alone, so here is the first chapter! I don't have a set posting schedule, but my outlie is done and I'm hoping to crank this out pretty quickly. I will update tags as the story continues! And no beta, though I tried my best to get this as clean as possible. 
> 
> In this universe, Michael and Alex got together senior year of high school, left Roswell after graduation and moved to Los Angeles where they've lived ever since. Everyone else remained in Roswell (Rosa never died, Liz never left, etc.). 
> 
> There's angst, but also a lot of fluff to follow. I love fake dating fics, and I wanted to try one out. I hope you guys enjoy it!

Alex woke in a panic.

It was the third time in the past week he’d woken up drenched in sweat, heart wildly flapping against his chest as he sought to get his breathing under control. He always reached across the bed, hoping to find Michael’s arm there, but as usually lately he was only met with a cold pillow.

Even after three months, he would wake up overwhelmed and terrified and expect Michael to be there telling him that everything was going to be okay like he was a small child dreaming about the big bad monster under the bed.

It took a few minutes for Alex to catch his bearings and remember what his therapist had told him many moons ago about breathing in for three and out for three and repeating the process until he felt like he was back in control of his body. Michael used to do the breathing with him, making sure to rub small circles into his hand as they sat there in the pitch-black sucking in huge gulps of air until Alex would squeeze his hand back to let him know he was good.

Now, Alex sat for much longer.

That night, Alex had half a mind to text Michael and just say hello because that’s what they did now twelve weeks post breakup.

Once the hurt feelings and the crying stopped, Alex decided that he didn’t want to live in a world where he and Michel Guerin were strangers. They’d been through too much and had loved too hard to just act like the other one didn’t exist.

So, Alex had been making it a point to check in with Michael daily over the last two weeks, and Michael had been receptive. He knew this kind of communication had a shelf-life, but for now he was going to take what he could get from a friendship with Michael.

He glanced over at the alarm clock and saw that it was a little after six am. He knew that Michael was up and moving around his friend Paul’s small apartment in Echo Park, getting ready to head to campus and his 8 am class.

It was Tuesday, which was his long day with three classes scheduled. If he wanted to talk to Michael that day, realistically early was the best time to reach out.

At least that’s what he told himself.

**_Alex: Happy Tuesday_ **

**_Michael: Hey. You sleep okay?_ **

_Fuck,_ Alex thought _._ Five years living with someone and more than ten years being in each other’s lives, meant that Michael knew that a text from Alex at that time in the morning meant he’d had a nightmare.

**_Alex: No_ **

There was no use in lying when Michael knew him as well as he did.

**_Michael: Want to grab lunch today on campus?_ **

Alex re-read the message ten times, as he found himself gripping the phone so tight his hand started to cramp.

The texting was fairly new, but they hadn’t seen each other since day 27 after the breakup when Michael moved the rest of his belongings out of the house. There had been no reason for them to meet up because they had both insisted on a clean break. And they didn’t want to blur the lines by seeing each other.

Alex knew the texting was technically messing up that line, but he couldn’t help himself.

Michael followed up with another text as Alex spiraled in his thoughts.

**_Michael: We have to talk about the wedding_ **

It had been months since Alex had thought about Michael’s brother Max’s wedding to his childhood friend, Liz. He’d had a lot on his mind with work and breaking up with the love of his life and thinking about their wedding just wasn’t something he’d done.

But reading Michael’s words reminded him that the weekend was about two weeks away. And he and Michael did need to talk because none of their friends or family back in New Mexico knew that they’d split. At least, Alex hadn’t told anyone.

**_Alex: Do you want to just call me?_ **

**_Michael: I think we should talk in person_ **

Alex frowned at the message. Of course, he wanted to see Michael. He wanted to make sure he was eating enough, because he notoriously skipped meals when he was depressed. And he wanted to see his smile, and whether or not he cut his curls or had let them get a little unruly this spring.

But he was also scared to see him.

**_Michael: You’re going to see me at the wedding anyway_ **

**_Michael: Just meet me at my place around 2_ **

**_Alex: Your place?_ **

**_Michael: We can go for a walk or something_ **

Alex just knew he was rolling his eyes.

**_Michael: I’m not ready to go back to the house_ **

And just like that Alex felt tears sting his eyes. But unlike the past, he forced them back in, refusing to become a blubbering mess. He’d turned a corner recently, and one candid admission from Michael wasn’t going to derail all his hard work.

He wouldn’t let it.

**_Alex: Fine_ **

**_Michael: See you then_ **

***

Paul’s apartment building was a stone’s throw from the Echo Park Lake. And Alex decided to wait for Michael on the path, nervously pacing around in place.

He’d taken far too much time picking out his outfit, looking to strike a balance between hobo and trying entirely too hard. In the end he’d decided on blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and a pair of white tennis shoes. He had his hands jammed into the pockets of the snug jeans when he saw Michael striding toward him.

Alex’s fear about Michael’s eating was spot-on as it was visibly noticeable that Michael had lost weight. His face was thinner, and the black slacks Alex had bought him last year for Christmas were a lot looser than the last time Alex had seen them on him.

Michael’s curls were shining and bouncing under the scrutiny of the sun, and he had a flashy smile on his face when he finally approached Alex.

“You’re not eating enough,” Alex said in place of a hello.

Michael’s smile dimmed. “Hello, to you, too Alex.”

Alex frowned. “Hi.”

“I guess I look like shit, but you look good.”

“I never said you look bad,” Alex began, shaking his head. “But I can tell you’re not taking care of yourself.”

Michael smiled again, but it was devoid of any feeling. “Can we not? I’m not your problem anymore. But I do want to talk about an actual problem we both have.”

Alex crossed his arms. “What’s the problem?”

Michael started to walk, and Alex quickly caught up. “We haven’t told anyone about us.”

“I’m aware of that. Hey, how have you been able to keep it from Isobel?”

Michael shrugged. “Been keeping her at arms-length as much as I can. Busy season at school and all.”

Alex nodded along. “Okay. So? Why am I here?”

Michael stopped walking and Alex’s shoulder brushed past his causing a chill to travel up his spine, even though it was over 80 degrees outside.

“When exactly are we supposed to tell them? At the rehearsal dinner? Or maybe we should wait until the reception. Tell them right before the cake comes out.”

Alex closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair. He didn’t know what Michael wanted him to say, and he didn’t know what he wanted to say.

He hadn’t wanted to tell anyone about the split because then it would be real. It would be real, and he would have to deal with the pity and the sadness, and everyone wanting to come visit him to make sure he wasn’t falling apart because there was no Alex without Michael.

God, he hated that he’d ever uttered that phrase because it was so true and so devasting all the same.

“What do you want to do, Michael?” Alex asked earnestly, and watched as Michael’s eyes danced all around, looking anywhere but at him.

“I don’t know,” he admitted after a few seconds. “You know how Max is. He’s already texted me ten times today freaking about the tux’s and flowers. He’s a mess. And I don’t think Liz is doing much better. I’m not sure now is the time to tell them…about us. I don’t want it to overshadow things or complicate the weekend.”

Alex snickered. “Okay, I know it’s a stressful time but what exactly are you saying here?”

“I don’t know. I just…I know how they can be. And they’ll be worried about us and how we’re managing…and that weekend isn’t about us.” Michael was stammering, and Alex knew that meant he was nervous.

“Again, what are you saying here?” Alex prodded, starting to get a bit frustrated. “It’s not like we can pretend we’re still together that weekend.”

Michael’s eyes finally zapped up to meet Alex’s and that’s when he knew what Michael was hinting at.

“You’re serious?”

“It’s one weekend! We’re going to be so busy that it’s not even like we’ll have to spend that much time together. And then over the next few weeks we let everyone know when we’re back in LA.” Michael spoke with conviction, his eyes impossibly wide like he was not only selling it to Alex but himself as well.

Alex spotted an empty bench a few yards away and he walked over to it, collapsing and rubbing a hand on his neck. “You want to lie to the most important people in our lives?”

Michael walked over to the bench but stood hoovering. “We’re going to become the talk of the weekend. I don’t want to do that to Max and Liz.”

“I don’t want to do that either. But, Michael-”

“I know pretending to still be in love with me is going to be fucking terrible for you Alex, but I’m asking you to do me this one favor,” Michael practically yelled out.

It would never not be hard for Alex to see Michael upset. When Michael was upset, Alex was upset. Their feelings often mirrored one another and that didn’t just go away because they were no longer boyfriends.

Alex took a calming breath before speaking up. “You really want to do this? Because it goes both ways here. You also have to pretend to still be in love with me.”

Michael’s eyes flickered away from Alex for a second, the expression on his face a little darker than it’d been since they’d met. “I get this isn’t ideal, but I don’t want to fuck up my brother’s wedding. I am begging you to do this for me. Please.”

This was a terrible, no good, rotten idea, and Alex knew that. But he’d disappointed Michael enough in his lifetime, and he didn’t want to do that anymore.

“Fine. But we can’t stay at Isobel’s.”

Michael’s grin quickly turned upside down. “Wait, why? How am I going to explain that now?”

“Isobel is going to know we’re faking it. There’s just no way we can pull it off if we’re all under the same roof. She sees through your bullshit. And mine,” Alex rushed out, the heat suddenly feeling a bit stifling.

Michael seemed to think things over, as the silence stretched out between them. “Okay. I’ll see about getting us something in town.”

Alex nodded and stayed seated, waiting to see if there was anything else Michael wanted to discuss since apparently, they had this part of the awkward conversation over with. Michael just shifted around where he stood, looking out over the lake, though he didn’t appear to be looking at anything in particular. Alex took the time to rake his eyes over Michael’s frame again, and yeah, he was skinny, but he was still an absolutely beautiful man.

And Alex missed him more than he could put into words.

Michael interrupted his show by literally snapping his fingers at Alex and bringing him back to attention. “I guess I don’t look as shitty as I thought.”

Alex rolled his eyes and tried to keep the grin off his face. “I literally never said you looked bad.”

“Yeah, well. You didn’t say anything nice either.”

“You had to have lost ten pounds at least since I last saw you Michael. Weight you didn’t need to lose,” Alex said it more harshly than he meant, and he immediately regretted it when he saw Michael ball up his fists at his side.

“You’re unbelievable, Alex. We’re broken up and you still find a way to act like my parent!”

This was the point where Alex should have gotten up and said goodbye, but it’d been so long since he’d been in Michael’s presence and he wasn’t ready to give it up. Even if they were fighting, they were together.

“Forgive me for worrying about you.”

Michael stepped toward Alex and stopped for a few seconds before ultimately sitting beside him. He left a sizable gap between them as he bent forward to lean his arms on his thighs.

“We can’t do this back in Roswell,” Michael began with a lighter tone. “We never used to bicker like this.”

Michael was speaking the truth, and he also knew that a huge part of their issues the last five or six months leading up to the breakup were directly tied to Alex never knowing when to shut up. There were plenty of times they could have gone to bed and slept instead of getting into screaming matches that lead to one of them sleeping on the couch. But Alex couldn’t let things go. Not like he could the first few years they were together.

It was easier in the beginning when Michael could do no wrong in Alex’s eyes. But the perfect façade started to fade, for them both, and then suddenly they couldn’t stop picking each other apart.

But the difference between Alex and Michael, was Michael knew when to pick his battles. Alex was seemingly always looking for a fight.

“I don’t know why I can’t shut up,” Alex admitted.

Michael turned his head to look back at Alex and his smile was almost blinding. “When you figure it out, please let me know.”

Alex couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped his lips, and it felt good. Laughter had been hard to come by these days.

“You really think we can pull this off?” Alex asked thoughtfully once he’d stopped laughing.

Michael turned his face away and stared back out at nothing. “I do. I haven’t forgotten what it was like to be in love with you.”

Alex couldn’t form words fast enough. And by the time they came to him, Michael was standing and muttering something about getting back to campus.

So, they awkwardly said goodbye, no touching or anything, but there was a lot of eye contact. And Alex watched Michael walk away before he leaned his head back on the warm bench, closed his eyes, and thought about all the ways he was going to try to fake date the only man he would ever love for three days.

Damn, he was screwed.

***

“Okay, hold up, hold up. You and Alex are going to pretend you’re still together when you go back home?”

Michael wasn’t looking at his roommate Paul, as he was in the kitchen and Paul was parked in front of the television in the main living room area, but he could hear the confusion loud and clear. When it was said out loud like that, it sounded terrible.

“I don’t have a choice, man,” Michael called back as he finished washing up the plate in his hand and set it in the drying rack. He wiped his hands against his pants and grabbed two beers from the fridge before joining Paul in the other room.

He sat on the loveseat opposite the longer couch that Paul was laid across, his head and floppy blonde hair the only thing visible as a brown throw blanket was draped across his body.

“Oh, you have a choice. And you’re choosing to lie.”

“You don’t know Max and Liz. And our friends. It will take over the whole weekend if we tell them. It wouldn’t be right,” Michael said before lifting his beer to his lips and taking a long sip.

“You and your man are awfully full of yourselves to think everything is all about you!”

Michael threw the small black pillow on the couch toward Paul and made direct contact with his feet. “He’s not my man anymore.”

Paul sat up and shed the blanket, reaching for the beer Michael had left for him on the coffee table. “Yeah, okay. Be honest for a second. Are you hoping this fake weekend leads to you guys getting back together?”

“No.” Michael said the words too quickly, and both he and Paul knew it.

It was partially the truth, though, because Michael’s main reasoning was to keep things from turning into the Alex and Michael show. But he’d be lying if he said he didn’t think that some time together could do them some good and lead to God knows what.

“You don’t have to lie to me man,” Paul said with sincerity. “I was the one who sat up with you every night and let you ball your eyes out. And forced you to eat at least one meal when you first moved in.”

Michael huffed a sad laugh. “First thing he said to me was I wasn’t eating enough. Little does he know I’ve actually been putting on weight the past few weeks.”

“You’ve been doing really well, Mikey. And I’ll be honest, I don’t love this idea for you.”

Michael looked over at his new roommate and Los Angeles best friend and saw the concern in his eyes. Paul was the only person Michael had told about the breakup, and he was forced to because he needed a place to stay.

Paul had the seen the downright ugly side of Michael when he showed up on his doorstep with a duffel bag and a runny nose and cried himself to sleep on the couch. He’d been lost those first few weeks without Alex next to him, because for so long he had always been there.

Alex had once said there was no Alex without Michael, and all their friends had cooed and awed at the sweet sentiment, but Michael knew it wasn’t the truth. The truth was there was no Alex OR Michael without the other.

But their breakup had been a long time coming.

They weren’t spending enough time together, opposing schedules and Alex’s constant travel keeping them apart for weeks at a time. And instead of coming together and relishing in each other’s presence after being apart for so long, they let their resentments add up and they spent their reunions bitching at one another.

That last month they barely spoke, just existing in the house they’d spent two years renovating together. They were broken, and they didn’t know how to fix it. Breaking up seemed like the natural progression, at least that’s what Alex said. And for reasons Michael still hadn’t fully reconciled, he agreed with him.

“I’ll be okay. I promise you. I know this weekend isn’t going to be real. I’ll come back here on Sunday night still single, and I’ll tell you all the gory details,” Michael teased.

Paul gave him a gentle smile and rolled his eyes before laying back down on the couch. Michael settled into the loveseat and tried to focus on the baseball game Paul had on but his thoughts immediately drifted back to Alex, like they did a lot of the time.

He’d honestly thought that as more and more time passed he would start to feel better about the breakup, and each day it would get a little be easier to wake up alone. But a love that has consumed your entire being for well over ten years of your life doesn’t just magically disappear overnight. And Michael was starting to realize that there was a real possibility it never would.

A vibration in his pocket pulled Michael out of his mindless thoughts of Alex’s golden skin shimmering under the sun that afternoon. He tried not to smile at the phone when he saw a text from Alex, but he was powerless to the way his lips curled into a grin.

**_Alex: Hey. Are we really doing this?_ **

**_Michael: I really think we should_ **

Michael watched the bubble dance across his screen for what seemed like an eternity. Alex loved to overthink everything, and Michael could just imagine him sitting on the front porch, enjoying the night air and thinking through every possible scenario.

**_Alex: I’m scared._ **

Michael had expected freaking out and a million more questions, but not that.

**_Michael: What are you scared of?_ **

**_Alex: Do we even still know each other?_ **

It was a loaded question, and Michael fought back the impulse to immediately respond yes in all capital letters. Do you ever stop knowing the love of your life?

**_Michael: It’s been a few weeks. Not years. How much has changed?_ **

**_Alex: Everything has changed_ **

Michael couldn’t argue with that, though. It felt like so much had changed and nothing had changed when they saw each other that afternoon. Even though they were both nervous and a bit on edge, it was still Michael and Alex. There was still a fog of thick sexual tension surrounding them, and even though the supreme lightness that enveloped them during those early honeymoon years was long gone, there was still love underneath it all.

**_Michael: You’re right. But you’re still Alex. And I’m still Michael._ **

**_Michael: If you really think we should just tell them then we can. I’m not going to force you to do something you don’t want to do_ **

A shudder went through Michael as he briefly thought back to the last time he’d forced Alex to do something he didn’t want to do and what a colossal shitshow that had turned out to be.

**_Alex: No, you right. This weekend isn’t about us. We can put on a happy face for a couple of days_ **

**_Michael: We can_ **

**_Alex: We’ll talk more this week? Have a good night, Michael_ **

**_Michael: You too_ **

**_Alex: And maybe eat a piece of fruit tonight?_ **

Michael knew he was beaming at the phone when he looked up after hearing Paul snort aggressively. He got up off the couch and playfully tapped Paul’s legs on the way to the kitchen.

He grabbed an apple from the fruit dish Paul kept on the counter and took a big bite before posing for a selfie with the apple close to his lips. Sending the picture off to Alex he held his breath for a moment, hoping Alex would respond to the playful attempt at humor.

They weren’t like this with each other anymore. Everything was perfunctory and to the point when they did speak because it felt weird to do more than that. But maybe they’d turned a corner, and the upcoming weekend would further push them into a new territory post-breakup.

Michael longed for more than what they had now.

The buzz of his phone sparked an immediate smile.

**_Alex:_ ** **😊**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the first night of Max and Liz's wedding weekend, and Alex and Michael embrace the con.

If Michael could describe the flight to Albuquerque in one word, he would have said; boring.

Once upon a time, he and Alex had wanted to drive out to Roswell, taking their time and just enjoying the scenic drive. Now, there was no way that was a possibility, so Alex used his frequent flyer points to get them flights last minute.

Michael immediately sent Alex the money for the tickets, which created a bit of an awkward moment as they started to talk about their shared savings account for the first time since their breakup. Michael realized that even after months apart, there was still so much they just never talked about.

The car ride to their Airbnb was a little less boring, as they settled into a comfortable conversation about the weather (it was warm), their plans for that evening (rehearsal dinner at Max and Liz's), and how nice their rental car was (a brand new Nissan Pathfinder).

When they pulled up to the house they'd be staying at, Michael couldn't help but be overcome with sadness. What should have been a lovely weekend away from the craziness that is Los Angeles with his love was now a tense and stilted partnership between two men just trying to survive a weekend together without breaking down.

"It's cute," Alex said gently as he grabbed both his and Michael's bags from the backseat.

Michael took his bag from Alex's outstretched hand and made his way up to the gray rancher's front door. There was a lockbox next to the door, and Michael reached into his front pocket to retrieve his phone and find the email from the owner, Trish. Once he got the code, he opened the box, produced the keys, and then he and Alex walked into their home for the next few days.

It was quaint in typical Roswell fashion, though a bit more modern than the houses Michael was used to. Everything was black and white, from the walls to the furniture and the appliances.

"You think Trish is like, allergic to color?" Michael asked as the two took a walk around the small space.

Alex laughed slightly. "Apparently. Look at these light fixtures, though. This one would like great in the living room."

Alex said it so casually and then just kept on walking toward the kitchen, apparently oblivious to what he said and what a punch in the gut it was to Michael.

They'd poured their blood, sweat, and tears into what he thought was going to be their forever home, but Michael no longer lived there. And here was Alex just casually mentioning lighting that would now look nice in HIS house.

Michael opened and closed his mouth a few times before deciding that it wasn't worth disrupting the somewhat delicate balance they had achieved over the week and a half leading up to that weekend. They were still tiptoeing, obviously, but the fact that they had spent nearly eight hours together and hadn't had a single argument was impressive and something to build on.

"You hungry?" Alex called out to Michael from somewhere deeper in the house.

Michael was still standing in the main living room area with his bag, so he made his way to Alex instead of shouting back. He found him in a bedroom, which he assumed was the master since it had an en suite.

Alex was sitting on the Queen sized bed, complete with jet black sheets and crisp white pillows. Michael couldn't help but stand in the doorway for a second and just gape at the man who still looked like a dream in his skinny jeans and crewneck maroon sweatshirt after a long day of traveling.

"Michael? Food?" Alex asked with a slight smirk.

Michael cleared his throat and looked at his watch. "Yeah, we could get something. Dinner isn't for another three hours."

"Okay, cool. And did you want this room?"

"Uh, you can take it," Michael said absently, backing out slowly and walking a few steps down the hallway into the second bedroom.

It was much smaller, and clearly, a child's room with a twin-sized bed shoved into the corner. Michael wasn't sure his entire body would fit on the bed, but he could suck it up for a couple of nights.

His phone started ringing as he threw his bag down onto the bed. He smiled as he picked up to hear Isobel's high-pitched squeal.

"Are you here? Are you really here?" She wailed into the phone.

"I'm here, Iz."

"Okay, I'll be there in like ten minutes!"

Michael froze. Isobel stopping by before dinner was never part of the plan for the day. He and Alex were supposed to meet everyone, Isobel included, over at Max's at 7:30. Never did he and his sister discuss her stopping by the Airbnb.

"I thought we were just gonna meet you at Max's?"

"Yeah, well, I can't wait to see you. And Alex, of course. It feels like months since I've seen you both together," she paused. "What's that been about anyway?"

"We've been busy."

"Yeah, well, I miss you. I'm hanging up the phone now, and you're going to text me the address. I think I know what street you're on but not which house. Bye, brother! See you soon."

As soon as the line went dead, Michael walked quickly back to Alex's room. "Isobel wants to stop by!"

"Okay."

Michael felt his eyes get wider. "Okay? Just okay?"

"Um, yeah. What's the difference between now and a few hours from now?" Alex said calmly, pulling some shirts out of his overnight bag.

"You're not freaking out. Why aren't you freaking out?"

Alex chuckled. "The real question is, why are you freaking out? We talked about this every day for like twelve days. It's going to be fine, Michael. It's now or never."

Michael's heart was beating rapidly, and he could feel his palms starting to sweat. Alex was right. They had talked for hours over the past week about making this weekend as believable as possible, including catching each other up on any new happenings at work or in their personal lives.

Neither one had a ton going on, but god, those nights spent talking to Alex on the phone had been everything. Sure, the talks were all business, but it had been nice to hear Alex's voice and just hear about how he was doing. He knew he missed Alex, but the past two weeks had enforced just how bad.

After shooting off the address to Isobel, Michael called up the one decent pizza place in town and ordered a large pizza, half pepperoni and sausage for Alex, and green peppers for himself.

His appetite had continued to get better with the passing weeks, and even Alex remarked about how nice he looked when they met at the airport that morning.

He busied himself with arranging his toiletries in the bathroom in the hallway as he waited for Isobel to get there, but then stopped abruptly and went back into his tiny room to stuff his clothes back into his bag.

He walked it over to Alex's room and threw it on the bench at the bottom of the bed, startling Alex, who was sitting on the bed scrolling through his phone.

"You know Isobel is going to snoop," Michael said in lieu of an explanation.

Before they had time to say anything else, they heard a loud knocking on the door. Michael looked over at Alex and wiggled his eyebrows before leaving to answer the door.

"Iz!" Michael exclaimed as a lithe blonde came barreling into his outstretched arms.

"I missed you, oh my god!" She screamed as she gripped him tightly.

When they finally broke apart, Isobel pushed Michael aside to run over and hug Alex, who'd at some point during their reunion made his way to the foyer.

Michael saw Alex's genuine smile, and for the second time in an hour, a piece of his heart chipped away. Alex loved Isobel, and Isobel loved Alex. And when the truth finally came out, she was going to be heartbroken for Michael and herself.

She was going to lose a brother.

"Okay, come here, Michael!" Isobel stepped back from Alex and reached her hand out for Michael. He stepped forward and let himself be pressed into the side of her body. She pulled Alex in on the other side, and the three of them shared a slightly awkward hug that had Alex and Michael touching each other tenderly for the first time since they stood in their former bedroom and clung to each other for twenty minutes the day Michael moved out.

"Alright, Iz," Michael finally spoke and released himself from the hug. "Let's sit down."

There was only a 2-piece white sectional with a chaise in the living room, and Michael went directly for the chaise while Alex and Isobel sat down on the couch piece.

"So, how are Max and Liz doing?" Alex asked.

Isobel sighed loudly. "They're both freaking out. You know Max is trying to keep it all in because he doesn't want to stress Liz out more. I'm just ready to get this weekend over with. Do you know how much time I spent looking at venues for them to tell me they wanted to get married in the desert and have their reception at the Wild Pony?"

Michael and Alex both laughed simultaneously at the utter look of disgust on Isobel's face as she spoke. She was dramatic as anything, and Michael loved her for it.

"But anyway, tell me about Los Angeles. It's been impossible to get you guys together lately!"

Michael hesitated. "Uh, it's good. School is good. I got a good group of students this semester. A lot less babying, which is nice for a change."

"Yeah, and work has been crazy. They've got me flying out basically every other week to check-in at different firms all over. It's nice that the company is expanding, but it's been pretty tiring," Alex said thoughtfully.

And Michael knew better than anyone how tiring it had been for Alex. He knew Alex loved being a Cyber Security Analyst, and he was damn good at it. But the company he worked for was expanding at a rapid pace, and they almost couldn't keep up with it. That meant Alex was on the move often, and Michael had started to feel left behind.

"That's brutal. I knew you were gone a lot, but I didn't realize it was that bad. Michael is so vague on the phone," Isobel said, wrapping an arm around Alex's shoulder and squeezing. "How are you guys dealing with all that? The distance."

Alex spoke up quickly. "We're dealing with it. Hasn't been easy."

"You must miss each other like crazy."

"We do," Michael added. "It never gets easy sleeping alone."

Alex looked above Isobel's head to give Michael a sympathetic look that had Michael grinning sweetly despite himself. "But I, uh, talked to my boss yesterday actually about scaling back some. I think it's time to start training some of those young kids to step in."

"Young kids? Alex, you're twenty-eight!" Isobel said with a laugh.

"You talked to Bill about cutting back on the travel?" Michael couldn't keep the wonder out of his voice as his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Isobel rolled off Alex to give him a bit of a quizzical look, but he ignored it and kept his eyes focused on Alex, who was pleading with him to play it cool with his eyes.

"Yeah, I must have forgotten to tell you with the craziness of getting ready for the trip," Alex replied, throwing his hands up and shrugging his shoulders.

"What did he say?" Michael asked, this time a little less surprised.

"He said we could talk more when I get back, but I think he was receptive to what I was saying."

"You've been with them since they opened their door eight years ago. And you're the best analyst they have. They've been running you ragged for over a year with this travel shit. It's ridiculous. Like when they sent you to Bismarck fucking North Dakota for two weeks and then had the nerve to make you pay your way back so you could be home for Christmas last year. You should be running that firm," Michael trailed off once he became aware of the eyes on him while he was ranting.

"Thanks, baby," Alex said softly, ducking his head away, no doubt to hide the blush that was creeping up his cheeks.

The doorbell ringing caught them all by surprise, and Michael hopped up to answer the door. He gratefully took the pizza, tipping generously, and then went into the modest kitchen to sit down at the table.

Alex and Isobel followed behind, and Michael watched Alex hesitate for just a second before sitting down on the bench next to him. Both he and Alex were vehemently against using plates when they ate pizza, always digging right into the box without a second thought.

Isobel looked disgusted, and she let it be known. "Some things never change, I see. You two are still disgustingly cute, and you have zero manners."

Michael smiled back at her with a mouthful of pizza as she fake gagged before leaving the table and collapsing back on the couch.

Alex, who was laughing at Michael, suddenly looked pensive as he placed his slice down and reached across Michael to grab a napkin from the holder against the wall. He handed it to Michael with a nervous grin.

"You got a little something on your chin," he said with a small wink.

"Is your finger broken or something?" Michael drawled, winking back. He continued to feel more comfortable with Alex with each minute that ticked by, and if this was their last few days "together," why not have a little fun?

Alex rolled his eyes before bringing his thumb over to Michael's chin, where he slowly wiped up the sauce that had pooled there. Michael was very aware of how his body reacted to the slight touch, and he had to actively fight back a whimper when Alex brought his thumb to his lips to lick it clean.

They sat looking at each other dead in the eye for several seconds before Isobel cleared her throat. "If you guys want to have sex, you're going to have to wait until tonight. I'm still here."

Michael and Alex let the comment linger in the air and went back to eating their pizza.

"You know, I was worried about you guys," Isobel spoke up.

Michael watched Alex swallow his food and then turn to Isobel, who was laid out across the couch like she lived there. "You don't have to worry about us, Iz. We always find our way."

"Yeah, but Michael has seemed sad lately, the few times he actually picks up. And I imagine it's easier to get Obama on the phone than you, Alex," Isobel joked before her tone became more somber. "We all were concerned about you guys. Thought we were going to have to have an intervention this weekend!"

"You guys really need to worry about your own relationships," Michael snapped back.

Alex turned back to him and nudged his shoulder. "They just worry about us. And can you blame them?"

Michael's slight annoyance floundered at the soft look on Alex's face.

"You're right, babe," Michael said. "We're good, Iz. No interventions necessary."

"I can see that. Alex still looks like a doe-eyed teenager when you get all hot and bothered about him working too hard," Isobel remarked before she got preoccupied with something on her cell.

Michael snorted and avoided making eye contact with Alex, instead taking a huge bite of his pizza.

The first day was off to a decent start, as far as Michael was concerned. He and Alex were getting along, and Isobel was none the wiser that anything was amiss. While Michael's heart had taken some blows, it was also beating just a little bit faster every time he thought about Alex looking at him the same way he had for over ten years.

Was it fake? Sure. But dammit, if it didn't feel real.

***

It had been at least two years since Alex had been to Max's house, but it was still a beautiful little place on the outskirts of town with an incredible view of the vast New Mexico desert.

As soon as you walked in, you could tell it was no longer a bachelor pad, as there were sprinkles of Liz Ortecho everywhere. The bookshelf was now filled with medical books, and there was a stack of medical journals on the end table.

Isobel had set up a teak wood table opposite the fire pit out front that was overflowing with food Alex knew was courtesy of Arturo Ortecho. The table was surrounded by garden barrel torches and cactus torches, which, along with all the light flowing out of the house's open windows, helped everyone see outside.

Before dinner, Alex was standing by the cooler sipping on a beer talking to Maria and Rosa, and not so subtly checking out Michael, who was in deep conversation with his siblings by the firepit. Michael kept laughing and smiling so brightly that it was making Alex's stomach tremble.

"Earth to Alex!" Rosa yelled, waving her hands in front of him and bringing him back into the conversation. "Why are you staring at Guerin like you don't see him every single day?"

Maria laughed along. "It's nice to see you guys are still hopelessly in love."

Rosa and Maria descended on him at the same time, tickling him through his Henley and causing him to shriek. When they finally let him go, he looked up to see Michael looking over at him with a fond expression on his face.

Alex looked away sheepishly and filed that look away with a few of the other looks he'd gotten from Michael that day.

After roughly nine days of over-analyzing and trying to talk himself out of "the lie," as he was calling it, Alex had just given up and accepted the weekend for what it was. It wasn't going to be real, and when Sunday evening came along, and they landed back in Los Angeles, they were going to go their separate ways yet again. But in the meantime, Alex was going to soak up every single Michael Guerin moment he could get.

After ten years, a parting gift for himself was a carefree couple of days to just enjoy their family and friends and each other.

"Alright, everybody! Let's gather around the table, shall we!" Isobel called out to everyone.

They all made their way to their designated seats and sat down. Michael and Alex were smack in the middle across from Max and Liz, with Maria to Alex's right and Isobel to Alex's left. Rosa sat across from Maria, while the Evans's sat on the other side of Max and Arturo sat next to Isobel.

"Before we eat," Max began pushing back from his chair to stand up. "I just want to take a quick second to thank everyone for being here tonight. Every single person here is so important to Liz and me. And it means the world to us that you are all going to share this weekend with us as we start a new chapter in our lives. We love you all, and I just wanted to say that before we start eating and drinking tonight."

A loud laugh echoed throughout the table and into the desert, and soon enough, everyone started to dig into the food and suck down drink after drink. When Isobel brought the champagne, the toasts began, with the parents Isobel and the parents up first sending all their love to the happy couple—and trying not to cry too much.

Rosa and Maria were up next with a speech that was half humor and half heartful. Liz was openly weeping when they finished, and Max was showering her hair with sweet little kisses.

With two beers, a rum and coke, and one glass of champagne already down, Alex felt satiated and incredibly content. He and Michael had moved closer and closer to one another at the table throughout dinner, and when it was Alex's turn to speak, Michael gave him a reassuring squeeze on the thigh before he stood up.

"Liz and I have been talking about her wedding since we were kids. We had her dress picked out, and back then, the entire third-grade class was going to be invited, of course. Except for Julie Kline because she wouldn't let us ride the swings one time in second grade, and Liz could never let it go. But, uh, we would still talk about it over the years, and the details would change. It went from a ceremony in a church to a ceremony in a garden. From a wedding in the winter to a spring fling and back again. The one thing that never changed in all those years was Liz always said she wanted to marry a decent man. Someone who loved her and would fight for her. And I'm thrilled she found that man. I am so incredibly proud of you, Liz. And I could not be happier for you both. I love you guys."

Liz mouthed 'I love you' back while Max tipped his champagne flute to Alex as he retook his seat. He looked over at Michael, who offered him a tiny smile before starting his speech.

"I have a much better speech planned for tomorrow," Michael began, waving his arms animatedly. "That one is full of embarrassing stories. But tonight, I will just keep this short and sweet and say that I'm happy for you. Iz and I used to tease Max all the time about his Liz crush. And Max would say just wait until you guys find your person. We would just laugh and keep on teasing. Then one day, I found my person. And then I stopped teasing because I got it. Loving someone and being loved in return is probably the best thing about this life. You've been family for a long time, Liz, but I'd like to welcome you in formally. And Max, I love you, brother. Congratulations, guys!"

Everyone toasted at the word congratulations, and when Michael sat back down, Alex tentatively put his hand on Michael's thigh palm up. No one was paying them any attention, and no one was going to see them holding hands under the table, but Alex wanted it.

It took all of two seconds for Michael to entwine their fingers together. They shared a look that must have lasted longer than either of them realized because Liz eventually threw a grape at Michael from across the table, causing them to turn her way.

"I honestly can't believe you guys are still this freaking cute!" Liz exclaimed words a little slurred but still understandable. "What you said, Mikey, was so sweet. It took me a long time to realize Max was my person, but he never gave up on me. And I'm never going to give up on him. I get that from you guys, you know. Max and I were just saying we hope we stay together as long as you guys have and can still stand the sight of one another."

Alex could feel Michael tense up next to him, and he used his thumb to rub circles on the back of Michael's hand in an attempt to steady him.

"We're not perfect, Liz," Alex said honestly.

Liz smiled widely. "I know, silly. No one is. But you'll always love each other, and you'll always have each other's back. And that's pretty perfect."

Arturo walked around the table to hug his youngest daughter, and it left Michael and Alex holding hands and thinking about what Liz had just said.

The couple she described had been them once upon a time, but they weren't those people anymore. They had given up on each other. They had decided that love alone wasn't enough to stay in a miserable situation.

"She's right, you know," Michael whispered to Alex.

"What do you mean?"

"That was us. We always had each other's back. I don't know when that stopped."

Alex took a quick peek around the table and saw everyone engrossed in their conversations, with some people not even seated at the table any longer. "Can we not do this right now?"

Michael rolled his eyes. "I'm not trying to have an in-depth conversation, Alex. I'm just making an observation."

"Well, I think your observation is wrong. I've always had your back. I will always have your back." Alex spoke with conviction, though he kept his voice low.

Michael went to speak, but a firm clasp on his shoulder shut his mouth right up. Max was requesting his presence inside for a round of sibling shots, and Michael looked at Alex as if asking for permission to leave, which Alex happily gave.

He sat at the table for a while after they left, sipping on the rest of his champagne and thinking about what Michael had just said. He'd never felt like he stopped being in Michael's corner, but that doesn't mean that Michael felt the same way.

There were many times they would be reunited after Alex's trips, and their arguments would just consume them, to the point they were hurling accusations back and forth. In particular, Michael would rail against Alex's job, not unlike he'd done earlier with Isobel present.

Alex always felt like he was defending himself when Michael would go on his tangents and decry that Alex wasn't being appreciated the way he should be by his job. But his defense always came with minor attacks against Michael's career, which was unfair. And when Alex thought back to one of their last significant fights, which involved a disgusting crack he made about being the breadwinner in the relationship, he could understand why Michael wouldn't feel supported by him.

But that was so far from the truth. Alex had always been proud of Michael and how he followed his dreams and was living his best life day in and day out helping people. Thinking that his insecurities and petty defense mechanisms made Michael doubt Alex's unwavering support of him twisted at his heart.

He got up from the table to find Michael and just be in his presence, but Maria grabbed him and made him join her on the makeshift dance floor near the firepit. There was a 90s playlist filtering out of the house, and Maria and Rosa were dancing their little hearts out, and Alex couldn't say no to them even if he wanted to.

So, he danced for a long, long while.

It was after midnight when things started to wind down, and Ubers began to be called. Max was staying at his parent's house with Isobel, while Liz, Maria, and Rosa were staying at Max's home for the evening. Liz begged Alex to stay and have a sleepover like old times, but he hadn't packed for that, and he wasn't super interested in sleeping on a couch when there was a nice bed at the Airbnb.

He and Michael got an Uber and went back to their place. They hadn't talked much after their conversation at the table, nor did they speak much in the car. But they sat impossibly close, even though there was no reason to.

When they got inside the house, Alex went straight for the bathroom attached to his room and got into the shower. He'd worked up a sweat while dancing, and he wasn't interested in climbing into fresh sheets with dirt on his skin.

He was startled to see Michael in the room when he exited the bathroom, and he yelped out loud.

"Sorry!" Michael exclaimed, holding his hands up. "I forgot my bag was in here, and I was just grabbing it. Didn't mean to scare you."

Alex tightened the towel around his waist as he felt Michael's eyes raking up and down his bare chest. For his part, Michael had opened up his button-down shirt exposing his chest hair and looked like the sexiest cowboy in the Southwest.

"It's fine. You just scared me," Alex offered up.

Michael went to leave but then paused at the door and turned back around. "What happened to us?"

Alex's head was swimming from all the booze and the steam from the shower, so he sat down on the bed, not even caring that he was dripping water all over the comforter. "I ask myself that question every single day."

"Did we get too comfortable?"

"I don't know. Probably. Listen, Michael. For what it's worth, I have always been proud of you. Proud of who you are as a person and the way you carry yourself. And I've always been proud of your job, even if I acted like a brat sometimes."

Michael stepped further into the doorframe. "I know, Alex. We've said a lot of stuff when we were upset, but I've always known that you were proud of me. I always felt that."

Alex was suddenly overcome with a wave of emotion, and he wasn't sure whether he would cry or be sick. "I'm glad you know that."

They didn't say anything else for several seconds, and Alex wanted so badly for Michael to come to him. To bury his hands in his hair and just press their foreheads together like they always did.

But Michael never moved closer, and Alex stayed rooted to the bed.

"I'll let you get some sleep," Michael began. "Big day tomorrow and all."

"Yeah." Alex agreed with a nod.

"I think everyone is buying it, which is good. You're a better actor than I thought," Michael said with a chuckle.

Sick. Alex was undeniably going to be sick.

Michael took Alex's silence for what it was and left shortly after, closing the door softly behind him. If he heard Alex's broken sob the second the door clicked shut, he was kind enough to ignore it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise this is going to get better if you just stick with me! They're both beaten down and scared, but being around so much love will help bring things into perspective. The wedding is up next! 😉

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos and comments are always appreciated if you feel so inclined 😊


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